A BBC soap legend has shocked fans by revealing she earns just £16,000 a year – despite starring in the hit show for an incredible SIX decades.
The Archers legend Patricia Greene has revealed her surprisingly low salary – despite starring in the BBC Radio 4 soap for SIXTY years.
After six decades in the role, Patricia insists she hasn’t become her character – if anything, she’s shaped Jill in her own image[/caption]
The long-running radio soap, which airs six days a week in bite-sized 13-minute episodes, follows the lives of farmers, vets, pub owners, and vicars in the fictional village of Ambridge[/caption]
The 93-year-old, who plays Jill Archer, admitted she makes just £16,000 a year for the long-running role.
She told The Times: “That’s what we get. We don’t talk money much, we talk content.”
While she’s accepted the modest sum, she’s been left stunned by the eye-watering salaries of other BBC stars – branding Chris Evans’ former £2million paycheck “obscene.”
She added: “You don’t earn that kind of money sitting at a microphone, do you? You can’t, it’s just ridiculous.”
Despite her low salary, Patricia isn’t pushing for a pay rise – but she wouldn’t mind seeing more of the BBC’s budget go towards The Archers.
The long-running radio soap, which airs six days a week in bite-sized 13-minute episodes, follows the lives of farmers, vets, pub owners, and vicars in the fictional village of Ambridge.
After six decades in the role, Patricia insists she hasn’t become her character – if anything, she’s shaped Jill in her own image.
The BBC will release the list of their full salaries for workers in their annual report, due in the summer.
The previous report showed former broadcaster Huw Edwards picked up a large cheque in the year before his fall from grace.
Here is what we know about the pay packets of the BBC’s top earners.
1. Gary Lineker (Match of the Day, Premier League, FA Cup, Sports Personality of the Year): £1.3m
2. Zoe Ball (Radio 2’s Zoe Ball Breakfast Show): £950,000 (down from £980,000)
3. Huw Edwards (BBC News *left in April 2024): £475,000 (up from £435,000)
4. Greg James (BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show): £415,000 (up from £395,000)
BBC departures and returns
LEAVING/LEFT
Newsnight’s Mark Urban after 35 years on air
Claudia Winkleman quitting BBC Radio 2 after 15 years
Correspondent Robin Brant after two decades
Sports presenter Garry Richardson after 50 years
BBC Radio star Jason Rosam after 16 years on air
Jordan North quitting Radio 1 and moving to Capital
RETURNING/RETURNED
Martine Croxall after launching legal action against the Beeb
Karin Giannone after a horror injury and year off air
Annita McVeigh after losing out on a chief presenter job last year
Geeta Guru-Murthy after also being off air for more than a year
5. Stephen Nolan (The Nolan Show on Radio Ulster): £405,000 (up from £400,000)
6. Fiona Bruce (Question Time and presenting on BBC1): £405,000 (up from £395,000)
7. Lauren Laverne (BBC Radio 6 Music): £395,000 (up from £390,000)
8. Alan Shearer (Match of the Day: Premier League, FA Cup): £380,000 (down from £445,000)
9. Naga Munchetty (BBC Breakfast, Radio 5 Live’s Naga Munchetty Programme, Panorama) £345,000 (down from £335,000)
10. Nick Robinson (Radio 4’s Today Programme): £345,000 (up from £275,000)
The BBC added: “Some famous BBC faces such as Michael McIntyre and Claudia Winkleman don’t make the list as the BBC does not have to disclose the salaries of stars who are paid through production companies like BBC Studios, which is classed as a commercial entity.”
Scott Mills has replaced Zoe Ball as the host of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show, after Zoe left to focus on her family.
Scott previously had a 2023/2024 salary of £315,000, up from £300,000 in 2022/23, but that is expected to have increased again.
Speaking of the pay hike, he said: “I’ve been doing this since I was 16 and I’ll tell you how much I got paid then – £20 a show.
“And it was a five hour show in the middle of the night – 1am until 6am. Obviously there is always curiosity around salaries because they get published every year.
“But I don’t think you can say that I haven’t played the long game.”
Scott salary is expected to increase again this year[/caption]
After taking over from Zoe Ball as the host of the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show[/caption]
While some BBC faces such as Claudia Winkleman don’t make the list as the BBC does not have to disclose the salaries of stars who are paid through production companies like BBC Studios[/caption]
